* AP…

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell as the nation celebrated Thanksgiving last week to a still-high 712,000, the latest sign that the U.S. economy and job market remain under stress from the intensified viral outbreak.

Thursday’s report from the Labor Department said that initial claims for jobless aid dropped from 787,000 the week before. Before the virus paralyzed the economy in March, the number of people applying for unemployment benefits each week had typically amounted to roughly 225,000. The chronically high pace of applications shows that nearly nine months after the pandemic struck, many employers are still slashing jobs.

“Thanksgiving seasonals likely explain the drop’’ in jobless claims last week, Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, wrote in a research note. “Expect a rebound next week.’’

* CBS 2…

The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported 74,131 new unemployment claims were filed across the state last week, the week of Nov. 22. That is up 13 percent from the week before.

About 10 percent of the national total yet again.

* There is clearly something amiss here. The governor has blamed the inordinately high numbers on fraudulent claims. CBS 2 reports that “roughly 297,000 people in Illinois” are “lumped into the IDES’ fraudulent claims pile.”

* Meanwhile…

Illinois has lost more than a third of its small businesses since the beginning of the year, according to TrackTheRecovery.org. […]

The data compiled by Harvard and Brown universities and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shows as of Nov. 16, 2020, the number of small businesses open decreased by 35.4 percent compared to January of this year.

The national average businesses not open compared to January is 28.9 percent fewer. Washington D.C. had the worst loss at 47.1 percent fewer small businesses. Nebraska and North Carolina had the best showing at 20.5 percent fewer.

Small business revenues have also taken a hit nationwide. The national average is a decrease of 32.1 percent in small business revenue since January. Washington D.C. had the worst loss in the nation at 61.6 percent. Oregon small businesses lost 16.3 percent. Illinois small businesses saw 39.2 percent decline in revenue since January.

[Headline changed to reflect an error on my part. I’ve donated more money to Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. This week needs to end before I go broke /s]

*** UPDATE *** Press release…

With identity fraud tied to unemployment claims in Illinois at an all-time high, Illinois State Representatives Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City), Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro), and Mike Murphy (R-Springfield) held a press conference Friday and said Governor Pritzker needs to stop pointing fingers and start proposing solutions.

Since March, more than 212,000 fraudulent claims have been filed with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). Most fraudulent activity involves unemployment benefit debit cards with money on them that are being received by Illinoisans who did not file for benefits, or business owners who cannot obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) funds because their identities were stolen and money due to them was channeled to a cyber-hacker.

“Governor Pritzker continues to blame the federal government for his department’s failings, but it’s time for JB Pritzker to take responsibility for the fact that his IDES has failed at every turn during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said State Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro). “Rather than continuing to play the blame game, the Governor needs to fix this failed system once and for all and share with the General Assembly his plan to protect the identities of Illinoisans at risk of having their personal information compromised.”

State Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) said Illinoisans who receive no help or no callbacks from IDES are turning to their legislators for assistance, often in a state of desperation. “Helping constituents who are having difficulties applying for benefits and receiving answers from IDES has become the number one issue which I and my district office staff have been spending time on since the outbreak began in March,” said Bennett. “Meanwhile groceries still have to be bought and bills still have to be paid while the applicants wait. The delays and failures at IDES are unacceptable. Government must do better!”

While the Attorney General’s Office recommends that all people use strong account passwords, monitor their credit reports, register for fraud alerts by text or email, and pay close attention to all financial accounts, Rep. Mike Murphy (R-Springfield) said that’s not nearly enough, and that state government needs to do more to protect people from fraud. “Telling families who need to put food on the table to monitor their credit reports for potential unemployment fraud is a completely unacceptable abdication of the government’s responsibility to the people,” said Murphy. “Then telling victims who are just trying to stay afloat to repay the government for its failure to protect against fraud adds serious insult to injury. We are long overdue for public hearings, the legislature needs to convene and concrete answers to address the ongoing problems at IDES must be provided.”